Constructing an Enclosure

I'm glad I found this forum, you guys really know your stuff. We just completed building a home and I have a dedicated (empty) sim room that measures 13.5' wide x 21' deep by 10' high. A couple of years ago when we started the project, i thought that I would be buying a used Full Swing.

With some research, I think that I've settled on GSA's Pkg 3 (club sensor mat with dual camera's) I actually visited Martin in Naples this past Friday...From the sounds of it, shipping of the fixed panels to Washington State will probably make their enclosure solution cost prohibative.

So I'm looking for your help. (I've serched this site, including the "post pics of your enclosure" sticky, but haven't found any info on building fixed panels and designing an enclosure for my sim room. Right now, my room has finished sheet rock walls and i'd like to cover all walls and the ceiling (with padded, fixed panels) to give it a custom, dedicated sim room look.

Any web sites, photos and/or ideas would be appreciated.

You wouldn't have to do all walls and ceilings. Just the front wall, front left and right, and the front part of the ceiling. I would cover those areas with plywood. You can use firing strips or whatever to bump them out if you want. Then cover the plywood with think padding and thick dark carpet.

Making fixed panels then mounting them would be too time consuming and add cost, IMO.

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Originally Posted by wigalo

I'm glad I found this forum, you guys really know your stuff. We just completed building a home and I have a dedicated (empty) sim room that measures 13.5' wide x 21' deep by 10' high. A couple of years ago when we started the project, i thought that I would be buying a used Full Swing.

With some research, I think that I've settled on GSA's Pkg 3 (club sensor mat with dual camera's) I actually visited Martin in Naples this past Friday...From the sounds of it, shipping of the fixed panels to Washington State will probably make their enclosure solution cost prohibative.

So I'm looking for your help. (I've serched this site, including the "post pics of your enclosure" sticky, but haven't found any info on building fixed panels and designing an enclosure for my sim room. Right now, my room has finished sheet rock walls and i'd like to cover all walls and the ceiling (with padded, fixed panels) to give it a custom, dedicated sim room look.

Any web sites, photos and/or ideas would be appreciated.

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So are you looking atthe PX5? Good choice you will be happy. I second ZMax's advice.

wigalo i am in the same boat as you are and i am looking right now to enclosed my room which is similar in size but i have to deal with a roof line and i would love to have 10' ceilings. Z he said he has sheet rock how would you get plywood up without using screws and making big holes in the walls? I think z’s way would be the least expensive way to do it. Wigalo how much is your budget? I have looked are putting up a cage and putting padding everywhere and with the covering it is going to cost $1350 the foam is the most expensive part of the whole budget consuming $900 alone. So I am in the same boat right now

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Originally Posted by 70jr

Z he said he has sheet rock how would you get plywood up without using screws and making big holes in the walls?

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Hey, sacrifices will have to be made. Since it's a dedicated golf simulator room, I don't it will matter.

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Originally Posted by bubba22

So are you looking atthe PX5? Good choice you will be happy. I second ZMax's advice.

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Yes, the PX5...I'm looking to get the most accurate simulation possible.

And thanks for yours and Z's reply. I was kind of thinking that I could build something from scratch. I was just hoping that someone has gone before me and had some really good ideas on techniques and materials.

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Originally Posted by ZMax

Hey, sacrifices will have to be made. Since it's a dedicated golf simulator room, I don't it will matter.

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yep, Z is right again. This was slated as a dedicated sim room from the beginning, so the only thing trimmed out in the room is the door. There's no base, carpet or anything. I have 2 young daughters, so it will also double as a wii/xbox room.

Since this is a dedicated space, I'm not worried about having to take panels down later. I do want it to look spectacular though, so I will put some thought and planning in before I actually start swinging a hammer.

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Originally Posted by 70jr

wigalo i am in the same boat as you are and i am looking right now to enclosed my room which is similar in size but i have to deal with a roof line and i would love to have 10' ceilings. Z he said he has sheet rock how would you get plywood up without using screws and making big holes in the walls? I think z’s way would be the least expensive way to do it. Wigalo how much is your budget? I have looked are putting up a cage and putting padding everywhere and with the covering it is going to cost $1350 the foam is the most expensive part of the whole budget consuming $900 alone. So I am in the same boat right now

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Budget?? what's that..for those of you who have had a house built, you know exactly what I'm talking about. At the beginning, I did plan on spending about 20k for a used full swing. I figure that the Px5 will set me back about 6k, so no matter what, I'll be saving some dough. I'll post some examples of what I'm looking to do sometime tomorrow. I had a roof line problem too, we were able to change the trusses, so most of the room has 10' ceilings, but the last 2 feet on the right side go down to 9'. It should work out just fine though.

Here is a photo of the room with dimensions...Attachment 27492

Awesome. You will be happy once it is all done. There is nothing like coming home from work especially on a rainy/windy/snowy whatever day that you can't play outdoors and hitting some balls in the sim. Yes you will save a lot with the PX5 and can use the extra dough for jazzing up your room. I am looking forward to seeing the final product.

Z as always you have me thinking. I am now leaning on plywood in my space, but I do not know how the impact screen area would be constructed? Any suggestions?

Perhaps give us a quick pic of your room 70's. By the way how is the GC2 treating you? Awesome machine I bet. Do tyou have an impact screen, projector etc already?

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Originally Posted by 70jr

Z as always you have me thinking. I am now leaning on plywood in my space, but I do not know how the impact screen area would be constructed? Any suggestions?

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That's easy. One idea is to frame another wall in the front that will have a big rectangle opening for the screen. The area for the screen will be recessed a little, giving the room a professional theater look. This will depend on the size of the screen and width of your room. If you want a screen to fit the whole width of the wall, then it's even easier to do.

Great idea. Thata would look nice.

yes i have everything, I bought the impact screen from Par 2 pro like 4 weeks ago. I got the GC2 like three weeks ago and went to Arizona for a week. Two weeks ago I spent the weekend catching up on a week’s worth of work. Last weekend I got the computer setup with the unit but I have not setup the room yet. I had to settle for a short throw 800x1200 because full HD is not in the short throw range I need it to be in. I used the GC2 in a net this weekend and i have to tell you the GC2 is crazy, the ball really matters just like in real life. I was using all kinds of balls and I was testing to see what ball I should be using. I have to weight down my hitting mat and I just bought a mat from http://www.realfeelgolfmats.com/ Z I never heard from you so I bought one. My hitting mat is on carpet and it moves from time to time and the GC2 does not pick up the hit so I need to put in a weighted device so the mat does not move and that will allow it to pick up every shot. I was working on a cage idea but I think that the plywood makes more since. So I have had everything for a couple of weeks but just got to it this weekend. Cory my brother is coming down in a couple of weeks so I will let you know if it holds up to him. I have not even taken the screen out of the box you shipped it in. I will try to set up everything this weekend and bubba there is a pic of my room in HD projector thread on page 8.

70,j,

No worries about mat. I did cut out a small piece and I'm using that now in place of the rubber tee holder. It's so much easier on the eye than that stupid rubber tee holder.

As for your screen, you had mentioned that you guys were big hitters, so make sure you use bungee cords all around to tie down the screen. You might also need a net behind it in addition to the plywood, padding, and carpet. I don't know for sure but better safe than sorry.

do you think i would be crazy to build a plywood box behind the impact screen and have the top of the impact on a swing instead of a bunch of bungee cords around it as long as i had soft foam behind the impact screen?

i only say this because bungee cords in my mind have a spring action to them and i just do not want my brothers power coming back at me.

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Originally Posted by 70jr

do you think i would be crazy to build a plywood box behind the impact screen and have the top of the impact on a swing instead of a bunch of bungee cords around it as long as i had soft foam behind the impact screen?

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That might work too. Not only do you have think about the rebound off the screen, but you also have to protect the screen also.

well i want to do both, the last thing i want to have happen is my brother hit a ball and it comes back 12 ft in the air and lands on the unit and break the screen. i also do not want to keep replacing a $450 screen. I just do not know what is the best way to do both is

Plywood, padding, carpet, and a net behind the screen should be enough. Test it out starting with a 7 iron and move up. Pay attention to the amount of bounce and the ball's impact on screen.

Attachment 27554


bubba if you have not looked at the room here it is

Very nice 70jr. Once set that will be sweet.

thanks bubba

wigalo have you set up the room yet?

Ok, I will have to get creative on my room set up since I am going to place this in my living room. I want it to look like a home theater with sliding panels(3 4X8's) that pull out on a rail/track type system vs just a curtain. My reasoning behind this is on the right wall is 3sliding glass/doors and on the left side is open bar space like that goes into the kitchen area. So if I have these 3 panels on tracks draped in black curtains I am thinking it can look nice and serve the protective purpose.

From what I read above I am thinking of using perhaps 1/4 thick panels (set up like pics with hanging panels)with carpet and then draped in black curtain (like in the picture of golf simulator) 3 on each side. I could have the curtain/net attached to to expand at the top to come out as far as the 2nd panel that would give me approx 8ft overhead protection.

Do you think this will work for protection? I know it sounds far fetched but I can really see it in my mind at a relatively low cost. I want it to look like the black curtains in the one picture with the simulator when expanded and then have the ability to push them back when not in use.
Thoughts?

Attachment 27798
Attachment 27799

that sounds good to me but bubba z please comment because i have not even done mine

GOLFINFLA will these panels just go on one side of the room? Are they side or ceiling mounted? Do you have a pic of the room?

GOLFINFLA,

That looks complicated and difficult to do. Not sure if it's even practical. Heavy drapes on a rail like in the theaters would be better looking and easier to do. Install some anchor points on the floor for each sides should be enough.

How were you going to mount the screen? It would still require a net behind it.

Btw, never use a white net behind the screen. Always use black nets. White nets will show up during white, bright images.

question on drapes for left/rigth protection and enclosure. looking at building a custom enclosure. Front made from screen 16 feet wide by 9 feet tall. ceiling build a 2x2 frame 4x8 plywood and screw into ceiling then 1/2 inch padding then black carpet stapled to wood. Sides have black drapes hung down from screen edge out 8 feet which are retractable if not in use.

question - any recommendations on retractable black drapes anyone has used or seen?

question - any recommendations on constructing the ceiling protection with 2x2 frame and plywood carpet.

Thanks.

Ok gang, it's only been nearly a year and now I'm getting to it. If you remember, I wanted my sim to have a finished look on par with the full swing enclosure. Well, I've drawn it up with a little help from my girls and construction on the golf sim/xbox connect/wii room has begun.

Step 1. Daughters mapping layout on walls. (ok a little artwork too. How many times will daddy tell them that it's ok to write on the wall.